The Price We Pay is an action thriller full of blood and gory elements. The film follows the terrifying story of Grace (Gigi Zumbado), who Cody (Stephen Dorff) and Alex (Emile Hirsch) take hostage at a pawn shop after their heist takes a dark turn.
The robbers fled the scene with Grace in their getaway car, which eventually breaks down, leaving them stranded. They arrive at a ranch where a teenager (Tyler Sanders) lets them stay for a few hours. However, they soon discover strange happenings at the ranch and find themselves on a path of survival.
Director Ryuhei Kitamura has garnered huge success and respect in this genre, and he left no stone unturned for this film either. A huge number of abandoned places and an isolated house in the middle of nowhere make you feel the helplessness and emptiness of people striving for life.
Filming sites undoubtedly influence how a story is perceived, and if The Price We Pay filming location piques your interest.
Where Was The Price We Pay Movie Filmed?
The Price We Pay film was screened in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Filming probably started around July 2021 and filming ended in September of that year. The crew started in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic and wanted to come up with new ideas.
According to Ryuhei Kitamura’s interview with Cinema Cords, he planned to make this small indie film with his friends and just have fun.
New Mexico
Most of The Price We Pay film is shot in Las Cruces, Doña Ana County, southern New Mexico. The city’s gritty aesthetic set the tone for the film’s violent theme, which is one of the main reasons why the production team chose it as a filming location.
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The exterior scenes of the pawn shop were actually filmed at Tradesman Pawn LL, located at 122 Avenida de Mesilla in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The creators did not change many details in the exterior and here is the reason!
In the same interview, Kitamura revealed that he only had 5 days to prepare the film, and the shooting only took about 15 days. They had a tight schedule, shooting Monday through Friday and working with what they had. Their budget was limited and they didn’t want to risk CGI for the gore sequences, as producers often claim that the budget does not allow for the inclusion of special effects. So Kitamura used all his resources and relied on special make-up because he thought it was always better and more economical.
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He admitted to being a big fan of Stephen Dorff and Emil Hirsch, and although they had discussed The Price We Pay film earlier, their busy schedules allowed them to meet just a day before the actual shooting began in New Mexico. In another interview with Mulderville, he praised Emile for being more of a co-creator in the film and helping with the sequences. For example, the Russian roulette scene was completely off-script, but Emile suggested its setting and Kitamura thought it was impressive, so now it’s part of the film.
He also talked about his cinematographer, Matthias Schubert, who suggests great ideas and helps keep the tension while capturing the scene. The director was also candid about the raw and chaotic environment on his sets where everyone was rushing and shouting because they had so little time and yet so much to do! Interestingly, the production team utilized the talent and expertise of around 30 experienced crew members as well as around 10 background and extras artists.
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Talking about the accommodations the city created to allow for smooth production. The Price We Pay Film Office Director Amber Dodson said, “From unique locations and crew to production resources, film schools, and a film office, Las Cruces is rapidly building the infrastructure to support production in Southern New Mexico.”
In addition to “The Price We Pay,” the area served as a filming location for movies like “Traffic” and “The Mule.” Most importantly, filming in Las Cruces helped elevate the aesthetic of such movies. The place is famous for its farms, mountains, and beautiful white sand. However, the crew used it in such an intelligent way that emphasized the menacing and ominous atmosphere it could bring if shot in a certain way.
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